St Lukes Environmental Protection Society

stephen November 25th, 2012

In 2012 STEPS and volunteers held four main planting events around the Roy Clements Treeway and Kerr Taylor Park areas adjacent to Mt Albert Grammar School.

On our first 2012 community planting day on June 24 almost 600 plants were put in the ground in lava rock forest areas and beside the stream [ see attached list]

• 178 plants went as infill into the floodplain area bordering the lava flow or volcanic rock forest from the green seat in the main big area right through to the back of the Morphum area in Wagener Place on the Morningstar Apartment side.
• About 400 plants went up on the hill closer to Alberton Ave to extend the rock forest margins.
• 2 large mamaku donated by  Friends of Oakley Creek were planted in the large floodplain area

Shortly after, Sel Arbuckle and Melissa Marler planted some translocated rock forest species such as titoki, mahoe and kawakawa into the rocky gully directly east of the bridge at the Alberton Ave entrance.

On Sunday 12 August 350 plants [listed in the attached invoice] were planted in the STEPS wetland, which is possibly the last major planting required for the wetland. Finally, Morphum Environmental carried out some infill planting near the exit to the St Lukes Mega Centre in Wagener Place.

Our thanks to all who contributed to the plantings, especially:

• 25 volunteers including St Peter’s College students and some students from the MAGS boarding house.
• Wendy John and Friends of Oakley Creek for plants and support.
• David Bowden, Auckland Council for providing plants and supporting us on  June 24 with spades and wheelbarrows etc.
• Morphum Environmental for donating plants and taking care of their area.
• Mt Albert Grammar school who own the land.
• Remnant Restoration for their efforts in helping to organise the Community Planting day and also for their help with weed control.
• Nick Goldwater for his leadership and inspiration in creating the STEPS wetland.

In addition there is the work which is undertaken all year long by a small band of people without whom these disturbed natural areas would revert to moth plant, morning glory and woolly nightshade.

• Special thanks to Melissa Marler and Sel Arbuckle for their planting and more importantly their consistent removal of weeds. Without them the floodplain would be covered in kikuyu, and tradescantia would have overtaken the shady areas.
• Auckland Council graffiti removal team, and the local person who fixed the information signs when their frames were stolen.
• CVNZ  and Wildlands for dealing with some of the weeds
• Albert Eden Local Board for a small grant to fund some specialist weeding
• Last but not least Karen Mann and the Buchanan Rehabilitation Centre team who have also contributed in terms of some weeding, planting and potting up and caring for native seedlings. The latter are also supplying a helper 5 days a week for the next 6 months at Meola Creek….so they have had a steady and helpful involvement in this project over the years.

• Stephen Buckland for posting our blogs to let people know about events

Finally we want to acknowledge the great moral support, appreciation, and encouragement many local people have provided Sel and Melissa when they pass by on a Friday along the boardwalk. We also appreciate the replanting many locals have quietly done of their own volition when plants have been uprooted by vandals.

• Planting days , STEPS , Wildlife
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